278 



NA TURE 



[July 



1903 



The meeting was attended not only by the members of the 

 "commission," but also by a large number of delegates 

 from various countries interested in aeronautical investi- 

 gation. A report of the proceedings has already appeared 

 in this Journal (vol. Ixvii. p. 137, December 11, 1902). 

 The opening address by Prof. Hergesell, president of the 

 commission, gives a very lucid summary of the work 

 already attempted in the investigation of the upper atmo- 

 sphere by international cooperation, and of the general 

 results achieved. 



The scientific balloon ascents on June 4 were made in 

 broad northerly air-current, which covered nearly the whole 

 of Europe. At Itteville (Paris) the balloon rose to 12,840 

 metres; the temperature at 10,490 metres was — 52^6 C. ; 

 at starting 9°.3. At Zurich, an altitude of 15,750 metres 

 was reached, minimum temperature, — 66°-5 ; at starting, 

 io°-2. At Berlin, a 'temperature of — 53°-o was recorded at 

 11,500 metres; at starting, io°-2. At Vienna, -43°-7 was 

 registered at 9500 metres; temperature at starting, i5°-8. 

 At Pavlovsk, a kite rose to 4430 metres in the afternoon of 

 June 3, temperature — ii°-6; on the ground, 23°o. A 

 balloon sent up from Bath rose to about 14,000 metres ; it 

 descended in the sea, and the record is not published. 



During the past week thunderstorms have been prevalent 

 in various parts of the United Kingdom. In the early 

 morning of Saturday last, a sharp storm occurred in the 

 neighbourhood of London, and rainfall exceeding one inch 

 and a half was measured ; another storm occurred in the 

 afternoon of that day, and further heavy rainfall occurred 

 in parts of the metropolis. On Sunday severe storms were 

 experienced in the southern counties ; in parts of those 

 districts the roads were under water for some time, and 

 much damage was done to crops. The barometer read- 

 ings were, for several days, generally low and uniform 

 over the whole country, and although the weather has 

 seemed to be "close," the thermometer has been low for 

 the season, the day readings being at times as much as 

 10° below the average. 



Dr. D. K. Morris, writing in the June number of the 

 University of Birmingham Engineering Journal, gives an 

 interesting description of the power transmission installa- 

 tion from St. Maurice to Lausanne. The installation is 

 for the transmission of 5000 h.p. over a distance of 35 

 miles, and the chief interest in the scheme lies in the fact 

 that high tension direct currents are used in place of 

 alternating or three-phase currents. The choice of this 

 system has enabled a much greater simplicity in switching 

 gear to be attained without any loss in efficiency, which is 

 stated to be as high as 94 per cent. The system is a 

 constant current one, 150 amperes at all loads, the voltage 

 varying with the power transmitted, and reaching a 

 maximum of 22,300 volts. The generators at the St. 

 Maurice power station are designed to generate 150 amperes 

 at about 2000 volts, and are connected in series, more 

 machines being put in circuit as the load rises. The high 

 voltage involves very special precautions in the insulation 

 not only of the machine windings, but also of the machines 

 themselves. The windings are very carefully insulated in 

 the ordinary way, and, in addition, all the active parts of 

 the armature are separated from the support by micanite 

 insulation ; the machines are insulated from earth by heavy 

 porcelain insulators in which the lower ends of the found- 

 ation bolts rest. The journal contains several other in- 

 teresting contributions from the pens of students and others, 

 and affords ample evidence of the flourishing condition of 

 the engineering school at the university. 



NO. 1760, VOL. 68] 



An interesting and rare case of infection of the mouth 

 and subcutaneous tissues by a parasitic nematode worm is 

 recorded by Mr. Whittles {Lancet, May 23). The patient 

 had never been out of England, and the source of infection 

 was surmised to be a pet Pomeranian dog. In a tropical 

 disease affecting the skin, known as " craw-craw," a 

 nematode has been described by Mr. O'Neil (possibly Filaria 

 perstans), and the bilharzia may cause papillomatous 

 growths. 



An interesting and exhaustive report has been issued by 

 the Worcestershire County Council upon the bacterial treat- 

 ment of sewage by different methods, the analytical details 

 being supplied by the county analyst, Mr. Cecil Duncan. 

 Thp conclusion arrived at is that the best method for the 

 treatment of domestic sewage is a closed septic tank with 

 bacterial beds filled with coke, which was found to be better 

 than coal, brick or stone, two bacterial beds being provided 

 to be used alternately to avoid ponding. As regards fish- 

 tests of effluents, it is remarked that the Salmonidse require 

 a larger quantity of oxygen than the Cyprinidae. Mr. 

 Duncan gives details of the methods of analysis used, and 

 suggests several modifications of those usually employed. 

 For preparing ammonia-free water for analytical processes 

 he has found that boiling ordinary distilled water with 

 bromine-water (1200C.C. and three drops) for a few minutes 

 is a rapid and trustworthy expedient. 



The first edition of the Kew hand-list of the Coniferae 

 has been exhausted for some time, and the authorities have 

 published a new edition, which brings up to date the 

 catalogue of species now in cultivation in the gardens. The 

 revision has been undertaken by Dr. Masters, who was 

 also responsible for the first edition. There is a consider- 

 able increase in the number of varieties, but only a very 

 slight addition of fresh species. 



The necessity for adopting a uniform system of nomen- 

 clature in botany is sufficiently obvious, but at present this 

 desirable condition has not been attained. In the presi- 

 dential address delivered before the Linnean Society of New 

 South Wales, Mr. J. H. Maiden presents a good summary 

 of the codes which have been drawn up with this object, and 

 enumerates the chief difficulties which confront the 

 systematist. 



Instances of the disappearance of uncommon or interest- 

 ing plants in the neighbourhood of towns are unfortunately 

 only too frequent, so that the gift of a small but par- 

 ticularly rich piece of land, presented by Mr. Willett to the 

 Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire, will 

 appeal to all naturalists. The donor desired to perpetuate 

 the name of his famous fellow-collegian, and suggested 

 that the area should be known as the " Ruskin Plot." The 

 unique character of the vegetation is due to the presence 

 of oolite overlying the clay, and these provide the situation 

 required by a number of orchids and sedges. Mr. G. C. 

 Druce, who selected the spot, describes in a small pamphlet 

 the interesting plants which are collected together. 



Writing in the Lombardy Rendiconti, Prof. A. 

 Martinazzoli urges the desirability of initiating anthropo- 

 logical observations in the Italian elementary and other 

 schools. In view of the fact that hitherto nothing had 

 been done in that direction, it is to be regarded as an 

 indication of progress that during the last year about six 

 anthropometric laboratories were fitted up in Italy, but it 

 will be a long time before, from this small beginning, 

 results are reached comparable with those achieved in the 

 United States. 



